什麽是純正的教義？ What Is Sound Doctrine?
作者: Scott Swain 譯者: Maria Marta
在我年輕的時候，我只考慮我的未來：我會和誰結婚？我會從事什麽職業？我將在哪裏居住？現在我是四個孩子的父親了，我只考慮他們的未來。
在保羅的事工將近結束時, 他把思想集中在他那持守信仰的, 「親愛的兒子」提摩太的未來的福祉上（提後一2）。保羅寫信給提摩太，告訴他關於生活和事工中最重要的事情。保羅不僅把上帝榮耀的福音（一8–10）和上帝默示的聖經（三16–17）託付給他的年輕門生，而且還向他說明有關健全教義的重要性：「你要靠著在基督耶穌裡的信心和愛心，常常堅守從我這裏聽過的話，作為純正話語的模範；又要靠著那住在我們裡面的聖靈，保守所交托你的善道。」（一13–14新譯本）。據據保羅的教導，對基督徒和教會的福祉而言, 教義是所有事情中最重要的一件。純正或「健康」的教義提供了一種模式， 遵循這種模式，便能促成健康的信心和愛心。純正的教義是寶貴的遺產，值得這一代人去愛護, 并忠心地將其傳遞給下一代人（二2）。
什麽是教義？從基本意義上說，教義是任何一方面的教導。例如，聖經談及人的教導（可七7–8）、惡魔的教導（提前四1；啟二24）、上帝的教導（約六45；帖後四9；約壹二27）等等。在這兒，我們考量神聖的教導，即上帝的教導。根據一個定義的解釋，教義是從上帝而來關於上帝的教導，這些教導指導我們榮耀上帝。這個定義對純正教義進行了剖析，確定了教義的源頭，對象和目標，對我們的理解提供了很有用的幫助。讓我們來考量這些純正教義的元素。
純正教義的根源
就基督教的教義而論, 三位一體的上帝上帝是最終的「權威神學家」或教師。在三位一體的完美團契中, 了解和愛自己的上帝滿有恩慈，願意讓我們認識祂和愛祂（太十一25–27；林前二10–12）。父上帝在聖靈裡藉著聖子教導我們這一教義, 指導我們的信心，引導我們的愛心。
雖然三一上帝是教義的最終源頭，但祂選擇在聖經中藉著祂的先知和使徒幫助我們明白教義。直到在上帝永恒的國度裡，上帝與我們面對面說話的那一天之前，聖經是純正教義的源頭和規範（提後三16；參看太七7–8）。教義是從聖經歸納出來，就如從源泉流出來那樣。教義被聖經衡量，就如被一個準則衡量那樣。此外，透過裝備我們, 教義引領我們返回聖經, 使我們成為更好的讀者。事實上，那些在不受純正教義教導的人最容易扭曲經文, 並「自取滅亡」（彼後三16）。
純正教義的對象
基督教的教義有雙重對象。教義的首要對象是上帝，次要的對象是與上帝有關的一切事情。教義教導我們看上帝為: 萬有都是本於祂，倚靠祂，歸於祂。 教義指導我們過榮耀上帝的生活（羅十一36；林前八6 ）。
當我們檢查在聖經中向我們呈現的教義的雙重對象時，我們看到一個明確的模式的出現（羅六17；提後一13）。這個模式是: 1. 三位一體（林前八6；弗四至六章；多三4–7）；2. 肯定創造（提前二13–15；四1–4）；3. 以福音為中心（提前三16；多二11–14）；4. 以教會為主導（提前十四至十五章）。在一些最被廣泛接受的基督教教導之總結的信經裡，如使徒信經、海德堡要理問答裡，聖經的獨特教義模式都留下了它的印記，並在基督教歷史上，對教會使用的崇拜形式起了指導作用。
純正教義的目標
教義促成許多目標。純正的教義使我們脫離假教義的圈套（提後二24–26；多一9-11），不然假教義會威脅抑制我們的屬靈成長（弗四14）, 和滋生宗教紛爭（羅十六17）。教義為上帝對教會內（提前四16）外（太五13-16；多二9–10；彼前三1–6）的拯救工作效勞。尤其重要的是，教義促成上帝的榮耀。教義作為上帝福音的榮光之一，光芒照耀（提前一10至 11），在基督裡，藉著引領我們對上帝的信心和愛心，教義能讓我們行走在上帝的面前，把上帝應得的榮耀歸給祂（彼前四11；彼後三18）。
上帝愛我們；出於祂的良善, 上帝賜給我們教義這份美好的恩賜（詩一一九68），好叫我們能夠認識祂和祂的福音，好叫我們行事為人討祂喜悅。教義是我們天父的教導，在基督裡啟示, 在聖經中透過聖靈傳遞給我們, 为了上帝的名的榮耀，在教會裡，教義要被接受、認信, 和遵循。
本文原刊于Tabletalk杂誌。
What Is Sound Doctrine?
FROM
Scott Swain
When
I was young, I only thought of my future: Whom would I marry? What vocation
would I pursue? Where would I live? Now that I am the father of four children,
I think only of their futures.
As he
approached the final days of his ministry, the Apostle Paul set his thoughts on
the future well-being of Timothy, his “beloved child” in the faith (2 Tim.
1:2). He wrote to him about the things that matter most for life and ministry.
Not only did Paul commend to his young protégé the glorious gospel of God (vv.
8–10) and the divinely inspired Scriptures (3:16–17), but he also instructed
Timothy regarding the importance of sound doctrine: “Follow the pattern of the
sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in
Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit
entrusted to you” (1:13–14). According to Paul, doctrine is among the things
that matter most for the well-being of the Christian and the church. Sound, or
“healthy,” doctrine provides a pattern that, when followed, promotes healthy
faith and love. Sound doctrine is a valuable heritage that is to be treasured
in this generation and faithfully transmitted to the next (2:2).
What
is doctrine? In its basic sense, doctrine is any sort of teaching. The Bible,
for example, talks about the teachings of men (Mark 7:7–8), the teachings of
demons (1 Tim. 4:1; Rev. 2:24), and the teachings of God (John 6:45; 1 Thess.
4:9; 1 John 2:27). Here, we are concerned with divine teaching, the teaching of
God. According to one definition, doctrine is teaching from God about God that
directs us to the glory of God. This definition provides a helpful anatomy of
sound doctrine, identifying doctrine’s source, object, and ultimate end. We
will consider these elements of sound doctrine.
The
Source of Sound Doctrine
The
triune God is the ultimate “doctor,” or teacher, when it comes to Christian
doctrine. The God who knows and loves Himself in the perfect fellowship of the
Trinity has graciously willed to make Himself known to us and loved by us
(Matt. 11:25–27; 1 Cor. 2:10–12). This doctrine, taught by the Father through
the son in the Holy Spirit, informs our faith and guides our love.
Though
the triune God is the ultimate source of doctrine, He has chosen to minister
doctrine to us through His prophets and Apostles in Holy Scripture. until the
day when God speaks to us face-to-face in His eternal kingdom, Holy Scripture
is the source and norm of sound doctrine (2 Tim. 3:16; see Mark 7:7–8).
Doctrine is drawn from Holy Scripture as from a fountain. Doctrine is measured
by Holy Scripture as by a rule. Furthermore, doctrine leads us back to
Scripture by equipping us to become better readers. Indeed, those “untaught” in
sound doctrine are most prone to twisting the Scriptures “to their own
destruction” (2 peter 3:16).
The
Object of Sound Doctrine
Christian
doctrine has a twofold object. The primary object of doctrine is God; the
secondary object is all things in relation to God. Doctrine teaches us to see
God as the one from whom and through whom and to whom all things exist, and
doctrine directs our lives to this God’s glory (Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 8:6).
When
we examine the twofold object of doctrine as it is presented to us in Holy
Scripture, a definite pattern emerges (Rom. 6:17; 2 Tim. 1:13). The pattern of
sound doctrine is (1) Trinitarian (1 Cor. 8:6; Eph. 4:4–6; Titus 3:4–7), (2)
creation affirming (1 Tim. 2:13–15; 4:1–4), (3) gospel centered (1 Tim. 3:16;
Titus 2:11–14), and (4) church oriented (1 Tim. 3:14–15). The Bible’s
distinctive doctrinal pattern has left its mark on some of the most widely
accepted summaries of Christian teaching, such as the Apostles’ Creed and the Heidelberg
Catechism, and has informed the shape of historic Christian worship.
The
End of Sound Doctrine
Doctrine
promotes a number of ends. Sound doctrine delivers us from the snare of false
teaching (2 Tim. 2:24–26; Titus 1:9-11), which otherwise threatens to arrest
spiritual development (Eph. 4:14) and to foster ecclesiastical discord (Rom.
16:17). Doctrine serves God’s saving work both inside (1 Tim. 4:16) and outside
the church (Matt. 5:13-16; Titus 2:9–10; 1 Peter 3:1–6). Above all, doctrine
promotes God’s glory. Doctrine shines forth as one of the glorious rays of the
gospel of God (1 Tim. 1:10–11) and, by directing our faith and love toward God
in Christ, it enables us to walk in His presence and give Him the glory He
deserves (1 Peter 4:11; 2 Peter 3:18).
God
loves us; and in His goodness He has given us the good gift of doctrine (Ps.
119:68) that we might learn of Him and of His gospel, and that we might please
Him in our walk. Doctrine is the teaching of our heavenly Father, revealed in
Jesus Christ, and transmitted to us by the Holy Spirit in Holy Scripture, and
it is to be received, confessed, and followed in the church, to the glory of
God’s name.
This
post was originally published in Tabletalk magazine.